National Healthcare & Housing Advisors’ Post

West Side United (WSU) is an anchor collaborative on Chicago's west side whose members include HAN members Rush University Medical Center, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Ascension WSU members discussed the anchor collaborative's strategies for the AMA Prioritizing Equity Series. Dr. David Ansell, Rush University Medical Center: Structural racism, economic disinvestment, these are historical trends, but they're perpetuated in the day-to-day, and we had been bystander to it and so we had accountability. That launched our anchor mission. We decided we become an anchor institution to hire locally, purchase locally, invest locally, and volunteer locally. That led us to say, "Well, we can't do it alone. Let's get the other hospitals in and the community in." And that led to West Side United. Ayesha Jaco, West Side United: Once Rush began to reorganize itself and really commit to health equity within its doors as well as bring along peer institutions, the table that was set that formed West Side United was all about galvanizing the collective impact of the six health care systems in our network that really have the West Side as its backyard to some degree. So in doing that, that really set an expectation for there to be early wins within the anchor mission space in a collaborative way, where you had historical competitors coming together to really take on collective targets around hiring, procurement. As we're talking about today, social impact investing. Fillmore Linen Service just opened in North Lawndale on the west side of Chicago and HAN members Rush University Medical Center and Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago are the first customers. The local healthcare laundry linen business is part of a larger job creation and West Side neighborhood community wealth building initiative. The project was led by West Side United. From the Chicago Sun-Times article: Fillmore Center aims to create more than 250 jobs and generate more than $9 million in annual income for North Lawndale’s economy. Seven years after renovations are completed, the building will be placed into a community benefit trust that allows residents to share and manage profits from the building — making it one of the few examples in the country. #SDoH #healthequity #AnchorMission #CommunityWealth #racialequity #economicjustice

Could facilitating connection, nature-based learning, and imagination & wonder in our communities, parks, & hospitals help address the public health crisis recently noted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) U.S. Surgeon General office's report? ✅ Reducing the stress and loneliness of parents and children in our communities... ✅ Fostering bonds through fun nature-based experiences & content.. ✅ Sparking wonder, imagination, & curiosity -- indoors & outside -- in partnership with nature. YES, it's possible. Through an ecosystem of solutions that need the support of our public and private infrastructures to make it possible to aid our communities and families at large in the U.S. -- Connecting with families & children within our local/state/national parks, public schools & libraries, & within hospitals to create more sustainable cities from the inside-out. Interested in learning more about how? Reach out, or register for more info: https://lnkd.in/gc8EnM7N Or share to change the world, one community & memory at a time. Melissa Vivek Atul Jill Adam Nadina Michael Eileen Richard Sarah Florence Meg Debbie Jennifer Susan Lise John Dr Jenny Peggy Dr. Katherine Heather Leslie Leslie Davinder Kent Gary Nikki N. Danielle Lisa Emily Lauren Tara Allyson Jennifer Christine Lysa Michael Chris Angela #publichealth #wellbeing #climatechange #nature

For many youth in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, safe and accessible green space can be hard to come by — an unfortunate circumstance, considering the plethora of health benefits that accompany time spent in nature. But Prescribe Outside, a partnership fostered by the Nature Everywhere Communities initiative, aims to bridge that gap. By providing physicians and families with tools to locate and use public green spaces, Prescribe Outside is working to improve the health and wellness of Philadelphia children. For a city in which up to one in three children live in poverty, removing barriers to accessing nature’s benefits for children and families is crucial. And from a statistical perspective, Philadelphia is not lacking in green space. Ninety-five percent of city residents can walk to a park within 10 minutes from where they live, and the city boasts 10,797 acres of parkland. Read more in our Community Spotlight, spotlighting one of the Nature Everywhere Communities. https://bit.ly/3WruY8g KABOOM! National League of Cities USDA Forest Service Children's Hospital of Philadelphia #NatureEverywhere #FSUrbanConnections #PrescribeOutside #NRx

The compromise that birthed Medicare and Medicaid continues to metastasize. Advocates for Medicare could not get Medicare alone and neither could those promoting a program for the poor. So both got together and Medicare and Medicate was the result, but this only happened when certain states demanded and go the ability to limit the costs. NACHC has long noted deficits of costs greater than revenue for Medicaid patient - their dominant patient type at 50%. Now we see the worst result of the compromise - deficit spending, CHCs held hostage by Congress, cost cutting dominating other public and private plans, and the increasing needs driven by populations increasing that are most behind. Teaching CHCs involve residency training in CHC locations - but they cannot help because Medicaid and HRSA payment designs are the major limitation to health professionals, more delivery team members, better delivery team members, and better practice environments (less turnover and turnover cost, etc.)

It's an exciting week for BHPN as we launched the new Public Health Primer: Engaging Community Development for Health Equity! The primer was developed through a collaboration between Build Healthy Places Network and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) to establish mutually supportive collaborations between these two sectors to advance health equity. It emphasizes the importance of resident leadership and provides guidance on how relationship-building can address injustices and promote equitable change in communities. Explore the transformative journey of the new primer 👉 https://ow.ly/HivP50QE5e5 #ThoughtLeadership #UpstreamInvestments #BuildingBridges #EquitableChange #EquityInAction #SharedResponsibility #EquitableCommunities #VitalConditions

People living in Willenhall in #Coventry are working alongside Grapevine #CommunityOrganisers and building their collective power as they campaign for improved park and play facilities in their neighbourhood. Through a series of community focus groups at the tail end of 2023, the ‘Willenhall Coalition’ identified which community priority it needed to tackle first. Members decided that by focusing on a community park or play area they could help people improve their physical and mental health, create a space for social interaction, build a greater sense of community and support local children and their families. How does a #CommunityOrganising approach help ordinary people take action and make change? 📣 So far our community organisers Edwin and Gemma have helped the Willenhall Coalition research other Coventry parks, draw up a 'most wanted' play equipment list, speak to around 200 residents, collect nearly 70 local surveys and initiate meetings with council services. The group hopes that focusing on improving Brookstray Park will help: 🌳 People improve their physical and mental health  🌳 Create a space for social interaction 🌳 Build a greater sense of community  🌳 Support local children and their families. Addressing some of the contributing factors to Willenhall’s historical population #HealthInequalities. Moving the community a step closer to becoming healthier, happier and more connected. Winning some or all of the changes they want will make tackling future community priorities in #Willenhall possible. Read more about this #ShiftingPower work in our latest blog. Link in the comments 🔗 Grapevine is working in Willenhall alongside local people, the voluntary and community sector, the NHS and Coventry City Council to improve local health and wellbeing under the #HealthyCommunitiesTogether programme.

At the University of Reading #CommunityFair, the Community Connectors of Healthwatch Reading presented the importance of volunteering and the essential role it plays in gathering community feedback to the students. Their work highlights both the benefits and challenges that individuals face when accessing health and social care services. By engaging with local communities, they ensure that voices are heard, helping to improve service quality and accessibility for everyone. Being a Community Connector offers immense value both personally and for the broader community: 1. Empowering Voices :Community Connectors play a key role in amplifying the voices of those who may struggle to express their needs, ensuring that their feedback on health and social care services reaches decision-makers. 2. Improving Services :By gathering real-world experiences, Connectors help shape and improve health and social care services, making them more responsive to the community's needs. 3. Developing Skills :Volunteering as a Community Connector enhances communication, leadership, and organizational skills, boosting personal growth and employability. 4. Building Networks :It provides opportunities to connect with diverse groups, fostering community cohesion and mutual support. 5. Personal Fulfillment :Contributing to positive change in people's lives by advocating for better services and accessibility is deeply rewarding. Community Connectors act as crucial bridges between service providers and the public, promoting healthier, more inclusive communities. #Engagement #Feedback #Reading #Wokingham #HealthwatchYouth #Volunteer Healthwatch England Reading Borough Council Healthwatch Reading Healthwatch Wokingham Wokingham Borough Council Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust NHS South, Central and West

Construction of a new a state-of-the-art building on Mass General’s main campus, the Phillip and Susan Ragon Building, will result in a more than $62M investment in community health through the Massachusetts Determination of Need (DoN) process, the largest such investment in the Commonwealth’s history. These funds will be distributed over the next 8 years, and we are pleased to announce our first round of Community Health Impact Funding awards. 22 local non-profit organizations will receive $18 million to support affordable housing initiatives in Boston and North Suffolk County. “Housing insecurity and substandard housing are strongly linked to health conditions like cardiovascular disease, asthma and chronic stress,” said David Brown, MD, president of Mass General Brigham’s academic medical centers. “We are so pleased for the opportunity to invest in and partner with these community-based organizations offering life- and health-altering solutions to the housing crisis in Suffolk County.” These innovative proposals are focused on a variety of equity-based efforts including production and preservation of affordable housing, policy and advocacy, and eviction prevention. Learn more here: The organizations receiving these funds are: Boston Affordable Housing Coalition DBA Mass Alliance Of Hud Tenants (MAHT), Boston Tenant Coalition (BTC), Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Chinese Progressive Association - CPA Boston, Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), City Life Vida Urbana DBA Revival, Inc., City of Boston Mayor's Office of Housing, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), FamilyAid, Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), GreenRoots, Inc., HarborCOV, HomeStart, Homes for All Massachusetts (HFA-MA), Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School, Madison Park Development Corporation, More Than Words, New England United 4 Justice (NEU4J), The Neighborhood Developers, Transgender Emergency Fund of MA, Urban Edge Housing Corporation , and Women's Lunch Place.

H3C is just one of many examples showing that health care systems are increasingly starting to see benefits in building affordable and safe housing, from the improved health of local communities to how much managed care groups benefit financially from those healthier populations. Those factors and others, including a shortage of housing for their own workers, have pushed health systems to become partners and investors in affordable housing.

Today we launch the write up from our thought leadership round table with NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB. We hosted a network of people working in the delivery of housing and transforming care for people who have learning disabilities and/or autism.  Invited guests represented the NHS, a Local Authority, Registered Providers and experts working in the delivery of specialist housing. The debate gathered thoughts and ideas around; how can we collaboratively overcome the barriers that are blocking the creation of supporting housing and create a better way forward. We covered: - Why are people staying in hospital longer than necessary? - What are the barriers for Registered Providers in developing supported housing? - How can we overcome the barriers? From our discussion it seems there are several things that need to change.  There is an initial need to raise awareness of the actual problem. Government officials and Homes England need to be fully briefed on the problem and the barriers, which are contributing to the lack of suitable housing development and the delays in the planning and management of this. Part of the problem also lies in the areas of funding, and the restrictions that are set, but if adapted could have the potential to bring about the critical funding change that is needed. Isn’t it time we gave the appropriate level of consideration to work together, to reduce the number of medically fit people living in hospital, by raising awareness of the issue and working collaboratively to find solutions to overcome barriers and place people into the homes they deserve. To read the full paper visit https://lnkd.in/esJC_zuF or contact Maria Killick for more information. Maria Killick | Sarah Houghton-Grimshaw | Jane Bellwood | Simon Halliwell | Victoria Millward | Abdul Latif | Amanda Wrenn | Torus | Clare Skidmore | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | Libby Eastley | Martin Davies | Paula Underwood | Steven Metcalf | Golden Lane Housing | Places for People | The Regenda Group | Magenta Living | Ian Coleman | Jeremy Porteus | Housing LIN | Louise Garforth | Julia Hatmaker | National Housing Federation | Chartered Institute of Housing | RIBA North West | Professional Liverpool | Julie Campbell | Keri Stanistreet #HousingCommunitySummit #thoughtleadership #supportedhousing #collaboration #teamwork #listening #shapingenvironments